9.03.2009

in memoriam

Morehouse College, where I teach, is part of the Atlanta University Center. The AUC is a consortium of five historically black institutions of higher learning, including the other two undergraduate-serving institutions, Spelman College and Clark-Atlanta University. The campuses all border one another, and students can cross-register between the institutions.

We lost a Spelman sophomore to gun violence last night. She was walking through an area of Clark-Atlanta that serves as a hangout for students from all of the AUC institutions.

The child of a single mother, Jasmine Lynn grew up in Kansas City and was the first person in her family to go to college. She won scholarships and grants and her family held a fish fry to raise money to make it possible for her to attend Spelman, the women's college at which she'd dreamed of studying since seventh grade. Jasmine didn't waste her hard-earned opportunity; she finished her freshman year with a 3.8 GPA and having decided to major in psychology.

We are sad to have lost a young woman with so much promise. We are concerned for the safety of our students and our campuses. And our thoughts and prayers are with Lynn's mother, grandmother, and all those who loved her.

1 Comments:

I was saddened when I read about this murder yesterday. Sad that one with so much promise will no longer be able to reach her potential for making a difference in our world. I hope they identify and find the shooter soon.